Rangel: Is candidate's tough talk real or just election rhetoric?

AUSTIN - In case you didn't notice, New Jersey just became the 14th state that allows same-sex marriages, even though Republican Gov. Chris Christie is a leading presidential contender in 2016.

In addition, Ohio is now the eighth state with a GOP governor to opt for the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act - or Obamacare - the health care law most Republicans abhor.

Turning a bit purple, California and 10 other states, including New Mexico and Utah - both with GOP governors - issue drivers' licenses to undocumented immigrants.

And not surprising, in the aftermath of last year's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Connecticut, Maryland, New York and other blue states approved gun restrictions.

Could Texas be next? Don't count on it - unless with Fort Worth state. Sen. Wendy Davis leading their ticket, Democrats pull a historic upset next year.

On the contrary, although the March 4 primary is still more than four months away, most Republicans running in contentious statewide races already made a right turn - a la Ted Cruz.

For instance, in high profile contests such as governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, they recently blasted a new San Antonio ordinance that prohibits discriminating against gays, lesbians and transgender people. Though Austin, Dallas and other major cities already had similar laws hardly anyone outside those municipalities objected to, the GOP hopefuls singled out the San Antonio measure - arguing it is a threat to religious freedom - because the campaign season had begun.

"If you pass this ordinance, we'll see you in court when Ken Paxton is attorney general," the state senator from McKinney warned before the San Antonio City Council passed the measure.

In addition, opposition to the Medicaid expansion remains as solid as when President Barack Obama signed the landmark legislation three years ago.

Also, though in this year's session the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature nearly passed a bill that would have allowed undocumented immigrants get drivers' permits, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and his three challengers are now talking tough on illegal immigration.

And all GOP hopefuls have left no doubt where they stand on gun issues. Last weekend, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, one of Dewhurst's challengers, even led a pro-gun rally at the Alamo.

The main goal of the rally is simple: "The peaceful exercise of a right we fear losing," Patterson wrote in an op-ed column.

The sharp turn to the right Republican hopefuls have made shouldn't surprise anyone, said Mark P. Jones, chairman of the political science department at Rice University.

"They are all of the opinion that nothing is going to change in 2014," Jones said in reference to the political landscape, which is expected to begin changing by the end of the decade, largely because of the fast-growing Hispanic population.

Moreover, despite the public criticism Cruz and congressional Republicans received for the 16-day partial shutdown of the federal government, most Texas Republicans are trying to emulate the junior senator, Jones noted.

They can move far to the right because their party controls all statewide offices and both legislative chambers, something Christie and Republicans in other swing states can't do, Jones stressed. Republicans in battleground states know they risk losing an election if they take far right positions.

Texas Republicans woo the most conservative wing of their party because it's usually the largest bloc of voters in the primaries, when most state and congressional races are decided.

What remains to be seen is whether today's tough talk results in a contentious session when the 84th Legislature convenes on Jan. 13, 2015.

GOP candidates and challengers talked tough last year and in the 2010 election but with different outcomes.

The 2011 session was one of the nastiest in recent memory, mainly because of the highly partisan redistricting and voter ID battles. But in this year's regular session everyone played nice, to the surprise of some senior legislators.

So, we'll see whether the latest tough talk is real or just election rhetoric.